Air humidifying and washing apparatus



AIR HUMIDIFYING AND WASHING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 25, 1930 Z0 Z3 ZQZJZWZW 655 Patented May 9, 1933 UNITED STATES LOUIS LARSON, OF OAK PARK,ILLINOIS AIR HUMIDIFYING- AND WASHING APPARATUS Application filed.October 25, 1930. Serial No. 491,223.

This invention relates to apparatus for humidifying and washing air,particularly air supplied to residences, offices, factories, auditoriumsand other places where people reside or congregate.

The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for furnishingasupply of clean, humidair to roomswhere persons live, work orcongregate, which will be simple in construction, relatively inexpensiveto produce, and effective for its designed purpose.

,To effect the objects thereof, apparatus embodying my invention andimprovements comprises the various features, combinations offeatures,and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

Inthe accompanying drawing, in which the invention is fully illustrated,

. Fig. 1 is a vertical, central, sectional view of my improvedapparatus.

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view, on a reduced scale, taken substantially011 the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. t i

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view on the line 3 -3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, sectional plan view from the position 1-41:,Fig. 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Describing the invention with particular reference to the drawing, A isa closed receptacle, adapted to contain water or other liquid, the top aof said receptacle being preferably hinged to the body portion thereof,to provide convenient access thereto.

As shown, said receptacle is equipped with a gauge a for the purpose ofindicating the liquid level in said receptacle.

In operation, air under pressure is adapted to be supplied to thereceptacle A through a pipe 1 secured in upright position in the bottomof said receptacle, with its lower end projecting downwardly through thebottom of the receptacle and its upper end extending above the designedwater level therein.

The lower end of said pipe 1 is adapted to be connected to a source ofsupply of air 0 under pressure designed to supply air thereto at apressure not exceeding 2 ounces per square inch. 7

In the preferable embodiment of the invention, air is adapted to besupplied to t the pipe 1 and thus to the receptacle A by means of ausual form of fan indicatedat 2, the discharge opening from the fancasing being connected to the pipe 1 by a pipe 3,

which, as shown, extends into the lower end of the pipe 1, being closelyfitted thereto to prevent leakage. As shown, see Fig. 2, the fan 2 isdriven by an electric motor indicated at 4, but my inventioncontemplates any desired or approved means for driving the motor.

The upper end of the supply pipe 1 of the apparatus is enclosed by whatmay be designated a hood 5, the top and side walls of which are closedand the bottom of which is open, said hood being proportionedtransversely so that an annular space 6 will be formed between the pipe1 and the side walls of said hood. In the preferable construction shown,also, the side walls of said 1 hood I are maintained substantiallyconcentric with the pipe 1 by means of pins 7 secured in the top wall ofsaid hood and which extend downwardly within the pipe 1 closely adjacentto the sides thereof, all as clearly shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing.

When the apparatus is not running, the

top wall of the hood 5 is adapted to rest on the top of the pipe 1 andthe dimension of said hood from the top wall to the lower edges of itsside walls is such that its lower edge will extend downwardly into theliquid contained in the receptacle A from to of an inch.

In practice, the hood 5 will be made of aluminum or other light materialhaving a low specific gravity, whereby. only slight air pressure in thepipe 1 will be required to raise said hood above the top of said pipetween the pipe 1 and the side walls of saidhood, whence it escapesthrough the water into the clear space 8 at the top of the receptacle A.

Air under pressure contained in the clear space 8 of the receptacle isadapted to be discharged therefrom through a discharge pipe 9 secured inan opening formed in the top wall a of the receptacle, mounted inassociation with which is an air diflusing apparatus indicated as awhole I), for discharging air from the pipe 9 laterally instead ofvertically. 7

As shown, the diffuser 6 consists of vertically spaced top and bottomplates 10 and 11, the plate 10 being secured to the top of the pipe 9,closing the same,'and the plate 11 being provided with a hole or openingclosely fitted to the exterior of said pipe 9 and rigidly securedthereto in any desired manner.

vFormed in the portion of the pipe 9 between the plates-10 and 11 areports or openings 12 for the discharge of the air. As shown, also, ahorizontally positioned diffusing means embodying a cylindrical screen13, preferably made of fine wire mesh, is supported between the edges ofthe plates IO-and 11 in position to enclose'the discharge end of thepipe 9, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3'. The air forced from the pipe9 will be directed laterally and be Also, should the weight ofthe hood 5exceed the pressure developed by the fan 2,

cured to the upper ends of which are sections of angle bars 16 disposedin position to form an angular recess 17 adapted to receive the lowerend of the receptacle A. Adjacent to their lower ends, the legs 15 areconnected by a plate 18, which provides a convenient support on which tomount the fan 2 and motor 4.

While the apparatus which forms the subj cot-matter of the presentapplication is particularly designed and adapted for humidifying andwashing air, I do not desire to limit myself to its use in thisapplication, as the apparatus is obviously equally well adapted forwashing any permanent gas and in specifying air, I have used thisdesignation to exemplify any gas for treating which the apparatus may beadapted.

I claim:

An air humidifier for rooms comprising a closed case forming a waterreceptacle for containing water to a predetermined level and acompartment for holding an air-pump, an air pipe connected directly tosaid airpump for supplying air under pressure to the upper end of saidwater-receptacle and a cup-shaped valve located at the top end of saidair-pipe and formed to direct air from the upper end of said air-pipedownwardly into the water and permit its escape upwardly through thewater around its sidewalls, and an outlet for the water-saturated air atthe top of the case provided with a horizontally positioned diffusingand laterally directing means for breaking up and spreading thesaturated air before it discharges into the room.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I aflix mysignature this 4th day of May, 1931.

LOUIS LARSON.

my invention contemplates increasing the buoyancy of the hood '5 byapplying a float thereto, sufficient to supplement the air pressuredeveloped by the fan to raise said hood to uncover the discharge end ofthe pipe 1.

A desired balance between the weight of thehood 5 and the available airpressure is such that, under the contemplated operating air pressure,the side walls of the hood will be submerged to a depth of approximatelyinch, thereby forcing the air supplied to .the receptacle A to traversea stratum of Water of this depth.

To provide for conveniently cleaning the receptacle A, it is providedwith a valve controlled drain pipe 14.

In the construction shown, in which air is supplied to the apparatus bya motor driven

